UK: Bursary Scheme Available for Budding Offshore Wind Engineers

Scira Offshore Energy is evolving the Sheringham Shoal Community Fund, operated by Norfolk Community Foundation, to include a Bursary Scheme for young people from low income families who would like to study engineering at one of three Norfolk colleges. Potential students can now apply for a bursary to support their studies following the launch of the new scheme.

The College of West Anglia in Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth College and City College in Norwich have agreed to take part in the bursary scheme. Each year funding is available for twenty students to receive a bursary of £500 per annum to study the BTEC Diploma in Engineering Level 3 through to graduation.

The bursary scheme will be open to 16 to 18 year olds from low income families living in Norfolk, and applications will be handled directly by the colleges.

Scira’s General Manager Einar Strømsvåg said, “Scira will be a local employer for many years to come, and we have a strong agenda to support educational activities enabling the development of skills relevant for an offshore wind farm operator in the local labour market. This Bursary Scheme is a tangible step in the direction to support students who wish to study relevant qualifications and take up a career in this developing industry”.

Alastair Ogle, Headmaster of Alderman Peel High School in Wells-next-the-Sea, welcomed the launch of this scheme, saying, “This Bursary scheme is an excellent idea which will have a direct impact on the opportunities for young people to study Engineering. For some students, the costs associated with travelling to such courses are often prohibitive but this scheme will overcome this barrier allowing students to gain relevant qualifications. With the growth of the offshore wind industry there is a need to develop suitably qualified employees for the future and this is a very positive step in that direction. As a school our curriculum allows students to progress directly onto these courses.”

Dr Marie Strong, County Councillor Wells Division, also voiced her support for the new scheme, “The lack of opportunity for young people from rural areas to access further education is a grave concern. And having joined the Norfolk County Council’s Rural Isolation Work Party this is one of the topics I will seek to examine. This bursary is very much a step in the right direction and perhaps it will encourage other organisations to follow suit. I certainly hope that there will be a goodly number of applicants from Wells and the neighbouring parishes.”

Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is nearing its final stage of construction with completion scheduled for late summer 2012. The project is owned equally by Statoil and Statkraft through joint venture company Scira with Statoil the project manager during construction.

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Offshore WIND staff, July 2, 2012; Image: Scira